


The Game of Gazes

by LdyBastet



Series: Red Pineapple Romance [3]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Fluff, Light-Hearted, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-24 02:29:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14945894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LdyBastet/pseuds/LdyBastet
Summary: Secrets have a habit of not staying secret forever, especially when other people have relevant information.





	The Game of Gazes

**Author's Note:**

> One of my old Bleach fics, finally putting it up on the archive. 
> 
> **Disclaimer:** The boys belong to Kubo Tite. I'm just borrowing them, having them do things the original creator probably never thought of.

Renji watched as the truffles he'd secretly given Byakuya gradually disappeared, one or two a day. The first time he saw Byakuya eat one of them, he was elated. Even if Byakuya would never find out that the gift was from him, at least Renji now knew that he enjoyed it. There was no doubt about that. The small sigh and the look of of contentment on Byakuya's face blew new life into the low fire that always burned in Renji whenever he was in close proximity of his Taichou. The sound that was so close to a moan, the glimpse of enjoyment on his face... Renji couldn't help but fantasise about what they would be if it was more than chocolate that Byakuya indulged in, something decidedly more physical.

~*~

It was a beautiful early spring day and the birds were tentatively trying out their songs outside the window. Byakuya enjoyed the slightly warmer weather and the sunshine that lit up the office. It made reading the old documents a little more enjoyable. But just as he'd settled down to start on the second scroll, he was disturbed by the sound of the office door sliding open.

"If it's not important, you can put it on Abarai's desk," he said without looking up or turning around.

There was a tinkle of laughter in response. "Then I'll put myself on your desk then, because in my opinion I am very important, and I'm here to see you."

Byakuya looked up and put the dusty document away. "Yoruichi. I think you're just here to test your teasing abilities, as usual. Or perhaps you need someone to beat you at shunpo?"

"Have you practised then?" Yoruichi asked with a smile, and Byakuya's eyes narrowed. 

"Oh," Yoruichi said as she sat down on one side of Byakuya's desk, long legs crossed elegantly, and picked the heart-shaped box up. "You have an admirer! Because you didn't buy this yourself, did you?"

Byakuya sighed. He'd had enough of the secret admirer business that entirely too many people found so amusing to tease him about. Ukitake's knowing smile when Byakuya patiently explained that it was only chocolate, after all, was especially aggravating. "No, I didn't buy it. And if I have an admirer, then she is so secret that she refuses to come forward or give any clue to her identity. I can't even say thank you."

"Really?" Yoruichi took one of the truffles, ignoring the glare from Byakuya, and ate it with obvious relish before returning the box to its proper home on Byakuya's desk. "Mm, good quality too. Should be, considering the price."

Byakuya gave her a quizzical look. "How do you know how much it costs? Renji said his investigations show that no one in Soul Society sells anything like it."

"He said that, did he? Well, I know exactly where it can be bought," Yoruichi said and smiled teasingly, making a dramatic pause and shaking her ponytail back over her shoulder. "I walked past a little shop on a corner selling these boxes and others like it last time I went to see Renji and Urahara. It's about three streets away from Urahara's shop."

"When was this?" Byakuya asked, starting to put clues together. Renji must have seen them too...

"Around the end of January, beginning of February."

"I see..." The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fall into place. Byakuya looked at Renji's desk. It was no wonder then that Renji's investigations hadn't resulted in more information, if the suspicions caused by this new information were true.

Yoruichi noticed the glance and smiled again. "Tell me, when did you receive this anonymous gift?"

"Middle of February."

"The fourteenth?"

Byakuya raised an eyebrow. "Yes. How did you know that?" There was apparently no end to Yoruichi's knowledge, but Byakuya thought he probably shouldn't be surprised.

"Valentine's," Yoruichi replied simply, and when Byakuya didn't react, she sighed at his lack of understanding and continued. "The day when handsome men, like you, receive gifts of chocolate from people - usually, but not always, women - who hope to win their hearts." She leaned close to him, stretching lazily over his desk. "You do have an admirer, _Taichou_ ," she purred suggestively into his ear, "and I think we both suspect who it is."

~*~

The next couple of days, Byakuya paid discreet attention to Renji every time he ate one of the truffles. He noticed now how Renji lost focus on his work, how he stopped writing or his eyes stopped moving over the page he was reading... only returning to it once Byakuya had finished.

A little game developed between them. Byakuya would ignore Renji's gazes until he could feel his eyes rest heavily on him, and then he looked up. Every time, Renji quickly looked away and a faint blush spread over his neck and cheeks. Byakuya, on the other hand, would sometimes look at Renji, watching as his lieutenant became more and more aware of his gaze until he looked distinctly uncomfortable and ventured a quick glance in Byakuya's direction. Every time, Byakuya met his gaze with a faint smile that Renji, no doubt, found deeply unsettling if Yoruichi's information was correct.

It pleased Byakuya to play a little with Renji while pondering how to handle the situation, what it might lead to, and how to make Renji confess.

Two days after the box was empty, Byakuya cornered Renji, just as they were leaving the office.

"Do you have any more information about the security breach and smuggling of goods into the office? Still haven't found someone who've seen anything suspicious?" he asked while slowly closing in on Renji.

"No, Taichou," Renji replied as he backed up against the wall. "Do you want me to continue the investigation?" He swallowed visibly.

"Please do. I don't think I can bother the second division and special forces with it since it is of a slightly private nature... but if you still fail to turn up anything useful, I suppose I can ask Yoruichi for help." 

Renji nodded mutely, and Byakuya thought he looked a little pale. He almost felt a little sorry for Renji, suddenly faced with the possibility of one of his closely guarded secrets being revealed in a most undignified manner. 

"You see, I have to question this person and find out where they bought the box, so I can get another one." Byakuya watched as confusion and a slowly dawning realisation showed on Renji's face. He stepped back with one of those unsettling smiles again and left the office, leaving Renji leaning against the wall.

How long would it be before Renji caught up with the fact that he had figured out that it was Renji who was the mysterious benefactor, Byakuya wondered and smiled to himself. This could prove rather interesting, after all. Byakuya finally had the upper hand, and he was going to enjoy tormenting Renji a little longer, while finding out just how serious he was about this.


End file.
